


covetous

by sutera



Category: The Last Remnant
Genre: Fluff, Jealousy, M/M, or rather attempted jealousy omg
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-02
Updated: 2015-03-02
Packaged: 2018-03-16 00:09:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3467165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sutera/pseuds/sutera
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which each member of the party becomes far too impatient for the inevitable to happen. What better way to push the two lovebirds together than jealousy?</p>
            </blockquote>





	covetous

**Author's Note:**

> help too many ideas bye
> 
> For [Lety](http://xdlety.tumblr.com/) tho. I hope you enjoy!!!!

When Rush woke up today, he expected to be hunting a few monsters, reporting in a few guild tasks—maybe hanging out with David and Irina a bit before they all made their way over to Elysion. As it turns out, there’s an unexpected delay and as a result, Rush finds himself hanging around Celapaleis after being told that David has to go and meet with Lord Qubine about some sorta farmer trouble. Or maybe noble trouble. Rush isn’t too sure, but he figures David will tell him if he needs help.

Well, it’s not as if he _doesn’t_ have people to catch up with, after all. Maybe he can go kill time with them, since Irina’s decided to hang out with Violet.

Wandering into the pub, it isn’t too hard to find Gabriel, standing with a rather obvious ‘come hither’ pose and Rush has to wonder why he hasn’t made the move yet completely on Violet.

“We’ve… been on a few dates.” Gabriel tells him in that fluid accent of his when Rush finally voices his thought; he finds the guy’s tone nice to listen to, sometimes. “Er, suffice to say, _two_ but it is progress, no?”

“Heck yeah, man.” Rush grins when he learns this. Still, there’s a thought in his mind lingering back to Violet actually being _married_ but he supposes it doesn’t count when there isn’t _true_ love in the relationship. Maybe. He’s not too sure now, though Gabriel and Violet _have_ been going on dates. He wonders how the nobleman will take it. Best kept secret, he supposes.

“I thought you two would’ve already been—erm, I mean, how about now? You guys… _together_ together now, or…?” He curses himself. He _almost_ mentioned the whole holy matrimony aloud but it probably wouldn’t be a good subject—but then, he still isn’t even sure how to _treat_ their relationship. Would this technically be counted as adultery? Is Rush an accomplice? He hopes there’re no laws against it.

Gabriel sighs, his hand moving up his hip as he hangs his head slightly. Rush finds his gaze being slightly distracted by the movement automatically before redirecting to the man before him. “Not exactly. It is… complicated. Lately, we have not been as _close_ as I would have hoped. Not a single day goes by that I miss my lovely Violet for we have ever been so _distant_ lately. It’s… _distressing_ , as you can imagine.”

“Wait, so…” Rush looks at him strangely. “You guys haven’t seen each other in a while?”

 The other sighs again. This time the melancholy is felt. “A woman’s passion is one that I am sure I _miss_ for sweet Violet is someone I can never tire of yet… I find myself craving something _more_ as well. A strange feeling.” Gabriel looks at him then and the intent in his eyes is something Rush can’t identify. He suddenly feels a bit awkward. “Would you be willing to help me again, Rush? I would be grateful.”

“Oh, uh…” For some reason, he’s getting a few chills. Which is strange. He’s never gotten chills when someone’s asked him for help before. Except maybe when talking to Snievan, though he supposes that’s a given. And also Hannah, actually. Maybe it’s because of Gabriel’s weird way of talking romance again. “Sure.” He agrees easily, because he can’t say no to a _friend_. “What’s up?”

“It is odd, but…” Gabriel pauses, as if trying to find the words. “I find myself growing curious of… a _man’s_ passion.”

Oh.

Oh _no_.

 _Please_ let this not be what Rush is thinking.

Not that Rush is _against_ it or anything but… but _that_ with… with _Gabriel_. It’s not like the guy was _ugly_ or anything—pretty much the opposite, he’s sure _plenty_ of women would say—but Rush just isn’t… _into_ him. He’s getting more turned _off_ by the second, if he ever was in the first place.

“Would you be willing to be my partner just for a second, Rush?” Gabriel carries on as if he doesn’t notice Rush’s blatant, mental refusal. “It is a strange request, I know, but it will not be for more than a single moment.”

This is a really weird situation. First Violet and Gabriel are sorta committing adultery (or something along those lines, Rush isn’t sure—even with the whole drama of the plot of Duke Qubine’s assassination and Nielson’s confession to actually loving her, Rush _still_ doesn’t know what to think) with each other, and now Gabriel’s asking him to… _do_ things with him. Isn’t that _double_ cheating in a way? He wonders what this makes _him_.

Originally, Rush has to admit he thought Gabriel was a bit of a player and _perv_ , considering how many women he claims to want to bed but—seeing him so _smitten_ over Violet got Rush thinking. And that whole confession about his family and how he’s from _Athlum_ … well, it _really_ turned his impression on the guy.

Maybe he’ll give him the benefit of the doubt just this once.

“Wait.” Rush interrupts suddenly, Gabriel’s words only registering just now. “Just for a moment? I, uh, thought you…” He _really_ doesn’t want to voice it now. Why did he even _ask_? He already feels his face heating up in embarrassment and, as expected, Gabriel looks at him incredulously.

“You don’t mean that you thought I was asking to _bed_ you?” Even Gabriel looks embarrassed at the thought, which is a first. Especially on this topic.

“You said ‘man’s passion’, okay? What else was I supposed to think?” Rush defends himself immediately. He just wants to get this over with. “What did you mean, anyway?”

“A simple kiss.” The other says, cocking an eyebrow at him. Now Rush feels a little bit dumb for not realizing that at first, and a hand rises to the nape of his neck awkwardly. Gabriel starts to grin. “Maybe _you’re_ the one here curious about a man’s passion, Rush.”

“I’m not!” He says immediately, and he feels his face burn like _crazy_. “I was—uh, can we just get this over with?”

Gabriel shrugs, but there’s still that shit-eating grin on his face that Rush finds a little irritating. Still, he knows it’s in good fun (he _hopes_ ) and settles his arms at his sides, trying to relax.

“Please, Rush, you do not have to be so eager for my attention.” The other laughs aloud but Rush just glares at him until he moves closer.

And maybe— _unintentionally_ —, when Gabriel is close enough to hear quiet breathing, close enough to make out the individual lashes adorning his eyelids, he can feel his heart beating faster.

As Gabriel gets closer, Rush’s thoughts start racing. He thinks at first that it’s because of their current location—in public, a _pub_ at that, with a few people around them (though it doesn’t _seem_ like anyone’s paying attention (then again, _anyone_ can come up the stairs anytime and see them)). But then _that_ surely isn’t the case, because Rush has kissed someone before in front of strangers and it hadn’t bothered him at _all_ then.

—well, it’s not as if he _hasn’t_ been kissed before. Heck, the other person had been on the receiving end while Rush did it himself. And he’s also kissed another guy as _well_ —for _experimentation_ things, of course (because while Eulam is innocent on the war front, the partying and drinking and general rowdiness is _not_ so innocent; maybe if a land isn’t occupied with one thing, it’s occupied with the other)—so he shouldn’t be so _flustered_. Maybe he _does_ like Gabriel? He doesn’t know. He never has been sure of his own feelings, even with the girls back in Eulam. He’d always been too _dumb_ to realise their crushes on him, apparently.

Ugghh, what’s this gnawing feeling in his stomach, though? Like this is a bad idea? It’s just a simple kiss, right? Maybe he’s just being way too paranoid for his own good. What’s the harm?

Gabriel leans closer then, and their breaths mingle. Rush inhales softly upon feeling coarse digits worm their way around the back of his neck, and his head is being gently tilted to meet Gabriel’s slow descent by a thumb.

Rush squeezes his eyes shut.

When their lips finally connect, Rush can’t help noticing how girlishly _soft_ Gabriel’s lips are. Heck, they’re probably far more looked after than _any_ of the girls Rush has seen on this side of the land (because he can recall Nora’s own lips looking slightly chapped, knowing that she doesn’t ‘give a crap’ about what she looks like despite the admiring stares shot her way by _many_ ) and he doesn’t move for a full moment at the revelation. However, before he can begin to note anything _else_ Gabriel suddenly moves back, looking thoughtful.

“I feel enlightened.” He says simply, and quirks a smile at Rush. “Thank you. My curiosity has been satisfied—I’m quite certain now I would much rather prefer a woman’s delicacy than the coarseness of a man.”

Despite the softness of Gabriel’s lips, Rush doesn’t feel attracted at all. Or turned on. Or the same fluttery feelings he got back in Eulam when kissing girls. Maybe he’s as straight as a rod. Which is perfectly fine—can’t learn anything without experimenting, right?

He swallows then, and nods. “Yeah. I’m glad I helped.” He tries to smile, and it feels weird. His lips are still tingly, but a _bad_ kinda tingly. He feels like he’s done something wrong but, again, there really _wasn’t_ any harm in that simple act so…

“I believe your dear Marquis needs you now.” Gabriel grins knowingly at Rush, eyes flickering somewhere over his shoulder briefly—a gaze that Rush follows instinctively. He only just manages to catch Dave’s form leaving, because from his vantage point the tell-tale teal and red are the only things identifying him.

Wait. Dave’s just leaving. Which means he probably saw him and Gabriel…

Rush’s mind freezes.

“Wh-why didn’t you tell me he was watching us?!” He splutters, spinning around to face Gabriel with a panicked look. “I mean, we were _kissing_ and… and…” Hands clench and he shakes his head, casting a sulky glare at Gabriel—who seems to be _smug_ , that little slime—before hightailing it.

Quickly, he bounds down the stairs, ignoring the gazes of the regulars—he denies he _almost_ trips over—before swiftly bursting out the door, looking left and right immediately to sight Dave’s form. Crap. Has he lost him already? He goes on his tiptoes, trying to see over the mass of shoppers (and garners a few strange stares from his wild waving in an attempt to stay balanced) and he begins to deflate because maybe Dave’s already gone and he’ll have to catch up with him later to explain the situation but then—there’s a familiar blond glint heading towards the marketplace and he immediately weaves past everyone to give chase.

He wonders why he’s so desperate to even _explain_ himself—after all, it’s not like Dave _needs_ to know what he’s doing, who’s he’s with. It’s not like, well…

Rush can’t even _begin_ to give thought to the notion.

All the same, he feels obliged to say _something_. After all, Dave _did_ catch Gabriel kissing him so, so… er, well, _Rush_ should’ve been attentive and he should’ve been on the lookout for Dave because they _were_ supposed to be going and hunting a few monsters together. No doubt the Marquis had been done with Duke Qubine and so _that’s_ why Dave’d been looking out for…

Rush just decides to stop thinking. His thoughts are going all over the place _anyhow_ and he doesn’t want to try and rationalize it when he can do that speaking to Dave.

…. Where _is_ he, anyway?

Quite easily, he’s lost sight of the guy and Rush slows to a stop, deflated. More likely they’ll be able to find each other later but… Rush still feels _edgy_ all the same. He doesn’t want the idea of him possibly dating _Gabriel_ lingering in Dave’s head (he tries to avoid the question of why _that’s_ so important to him) but it seems like he has no other choice. Scratching the back of his head, he turns around, ready to go and ask a few guards if they saw Dave walk past but—

“Rush?”

He yelps loudly in fright upon seeing Dave right behind him. Damn. _Damn_. The guy’s like a _ninja_.

“When did you--?!” Rush starts, glancing behind him to where he’d been _sure_ he saw Dave go, then back to the Marquis himself. He’s still stumped, all thoughts of the previous situation fleeing his mind.

“Are you alright, Rush?” Dave looks vaguely amused at Rush’s confusion, but there’s also something _else_ there in his expression that Rush can’t identify. Is he mad?

“Yeah.” Rush starts, feeling nervous all of a sudden. “Yeah, I am.” All thoughts of the previous situation return, and he has to wonder how to explain himself. Instead of psyching himself out of it, he decides to just go for it. “So, uhm, about before, it really wasn’t what you, er, _may_ be thinking.” Dave tilts his head very slightly, and actually looks _confused_ that Rush tries to hurry up in his explanation. “Well, what I _mean_ is that… me and Gabriel aren’t actually a _thing_ , y’know? We aren’t a couple or anything so… so…”

“Ah, you’re referring to him kissing you, then?” Dave says it so calmly that Rush has to pause in guilt. His eyes avert then, but then Dave continues. “You don’t need to explain yourself, Rush. Whoever you decide to kiss or whoever you allow to kiss you is none of my business. You’re free to do whatever you like.”

It feels like a very harsh kick to the gut.

“Oh.” Rush says suddenly, quietly. He hadn’t expected that answer. But then, what had he been expecting? “Sorry.” He says quickly. “Yeah, uh, I shouldn’t have assumed you cared about that kinda stuff.”

Dave looks taken aback at the words. He starts forward slightly, reaching out a hand. “Rush—“

“You’re busy, right? Maybe we can hang out another time. I could probably snag a few tasks at the Guild and keep them on hand if you wanna do them with me later.” _Or never_. Rush adds in his head, but he reprimands himself immediately for thinking so negatively. He doesn’t even know _why_ he’s being so sulky about this, but he should get over it quickly. There’s no _real_ reason to be bitter, after all.

“Alright.” Dave says after a small moment, and his gaze is searching. For a strange, brief moment, Rush is a little angry at the lack of reaction from the blond. But then he bounces back immediately, and grins.

“Cool.” He rocks back on the balls of his feet briefly before grinning. “Right, I’ll catch you later.”

For a moment, he thinks Dave is strangely _sad_ but then that moment passes and Dave is smiling warmly back. “Of course.”

Okay. Sweet. Nothing weird going on. Rush feels bad for overreacting on something so minor—Dave probably isn’t bothered at all about the kiss. As he said, it’s not like he’s _obliged_ to care about it.

Though, Rush will admit inwardly that he kinda hoped he would.

As he begins to move away, there’s a hand suddenly tugging gently at his wrist, and he looks around to see the Marquis gripping it, a strange look upon his face.

“Ah…” Dave seems surprised at his own actions, but he quickly recovers, features growing thoughtful once more. Huh.

“I look forward to spending time with you, Rush.”

O _ho_. Rush won’t deny those words make him _ridiculously_ pleased, and he’s grinning even _wider_ than before, his spirits lifted and practically _soaring_ because of the admission. He has half a mind to, well, maybe _hug_ the guy (or even something _more_ ) but he finds he feels a little _shy_ in doing so. Which is strange, because Rush is _hardly_ ever shy. And there’s a strange heat travelling to his cheeks. Damn it.

“Cool.” He manages to say. Dave is way too smooth in this sorta stuff, but Rush can be smooth too when he pushes past whatever shyness he’s feeling. Though, there’s no particular reason _why_ he should be smooth at all, but he goes for it. “Especially since it’ll be just us two, right?” And _maybe_ he waggles his eyebrows at the Marquis. Just _maybe_.

To his surprise, Dave laughs. Is that a faint splash of red tinting his face too? That’s good, right? Rush doesn’t even know what he’s doing anymore, but he likes seeing Dave like this. Heck, he likes it when Dave’s _happy_.

“Yes, well.” Dave raises a hand to his mouth, clearing his throat. He averts his eyes then, a smile still lighting his features. “I’ll quickly finish up what I’m doing so we can savour the… _privacy_. I hope you don’t mind waiting.”

There’s a stupendously dumb grin on Rush’s face, and he knows it. This tone of conversation is new with Dave, but Rush finds he’s enjoying it far more than he probably should be. Then again, Dave seems to be enjoying it too.

There’s a fluttering feeling in Rush’s stomach.

“Not at all.” He says, and he hopes his tone is easy. “I’ll meet you at the Guild, yeah?”

“Mm.” Dave nods in acknowledgement. “See you.”

“See ya.” The grin sticks even as Dave leaves, and not a moment later Rush is fist-pumping the air, jumping excitedly to the fright of several passing civilians with a small whoop passing his lips.

“This is awesome!”

**Author's Note:**

> ??? anD I STILL SUCK AT ENDING THINGS GOODBYE FOREVER


End file.
